Richard and Chuck Knerr

Chuck Knerr candidly speaks about growing up the son of one of America’s greatest innovators, Richard Knerr. He shares lifelong lessons and untold stories of his father’s toy company, Wham-O. Chuck gives the audience a glimpse of what it took and will continue to take to become a successful entrepreneur in America.

Richard Knerr and a friend, Arthur “Spud” Melin, started Whamo-O out of their garage in the 1950’s when they had the idea to sell slingshots. They continued to create quirky toys together that turned into American crazes, such as the Hoola Hoop, Super Ball, and Frisbee. Wham-O was one of the first companies to advertise toys on television. In the early days, the majority of their commercials were shot in Spud and Richard’s backyard.

Forty million Hoola Hoops were sold in its first year of sales in 1958 and 100 million by 1960. The fad faded overnight though, and the company was stuck with millions of unwanted plastic tubes. In the end, Whamo-O was left with just $10,000 in profit form the Hoola Hoop.

The Frisbee was a consistent seller after hitting the shelves in 1957 and quickly the basis for a new competitive sport. Many of Richard and Spuds’ creations have gone onto become American icons. Toys such as Super Ball, Silly string, and Slip n’ Slide can still be found in stores around the world today.